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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427590">Sweeter than Fiction</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai'>Aerica_Menai</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sweeter than Fiction 'verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Aromantic, Asexual Character, Asexuality Spectrum, Crowley owns the florist shop next door, Gen, Pre-Relationship, ace!Ezra, aro!Crowley, one pushy and creepy customer (quickly dealt with)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:46:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezra and Crowley meet in somewhat worrying circumstances, but the subsequent book recommendations become the foundation of a great friendship...one that may, one day, define them both ;)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale &amp; Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sweeter than Fiction 'verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sweeter than Fiction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yes, that summary includes a Star Trek reference. No, I'm not sorry XD</p>
<p>As always, I am forever grateful for the indispensable cheerleading and beta-ing of @grayraincurtain &lt;3</p>
<p>Title from song of the same name by Taylor Swift</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ezra had thought that he was alone in the shop, and had actually been debating closing for lunch early, when he heard the clatter of falling books from a shelf located in the back of the shop.</p>
<p>He immediately ran over, kneeling down to carefully pick the books up. “Please be careful, these books are delicate and rather expensive,” he scolded.</p>
<p>“I – I’m so sorry,” a voice stuttered and Ezra heard the sound of the customer dropping to the floor to assist. </p>
<p>Said customer was kneeling rather...close to Ezra, and the blond could have sworn the man brushed a hand across his rear at one point...but when he whipped around to face the man, he just asked, “Sorry, did I do something wrong?” He looked at his hands and blanched. “Should I be wearing gloves??”</p>
<p>Ezra chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no worries.” He told himself he was being paranoid, the man was just trying to help clean a mess he had made – more effort than many other messy customers put in.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” the man winced.</p>
<p>“Like I said my dear, no worries,” Ezra replied absentmindedly, not noticing the customer’s immediate perking up at the nickname.</p>
<p>“Here, least I can do is help you put those away. And – and I just realized I never introduced myself. I’m Dave.”</p>
<p>“Well thank you, Dave,” Ezra smiled as Dave took half of the stack of books. “Just to make sure they’re still in good condition, let’s take them to the staging area in the back, give me a chance to inspect them before putting them back on the shelves.” And Ezra bustled off, Dave following close behind. </p>
<p>After they had put down the books and Ezra started fussing over making sure that they found space for them that didn’t disturb his current projects, Dave spoke up. “Mr. Fell – ” </p>
<p>“Ezra, please.”</p>
<p>“Right. Ezra. Do you ever get days off from running the bookstore?”</p>
<p>“Whatever days off I please, I do own the place after all,” Ezra replied absently, finally satisfied with the state of his staging area table.</p>
<p>“What about taking the day off next Saturday?”</p>
<p>Ezra turned and blinked at Dave. “Why on earth would I do that? The weekends are my busiest times, all the poor grad students and professors swarming – no, no, definitely not,” Ezra declared, sweeping back out to the main room with Dave following...almost uncomfortably close behind.</p>
<p>“And there’s no way I can convince you to...change your mind?” Dave asked softly as he trailed his fingers down Ezra’s arm.</p>
<p>Ezra yanked back his arm and whirled to glare at him. “Absolutely not! I don’t know where you got the idea that you are more important than the vast majority of my customers, but no, I am not closing down for some mad whim of yours!”</p>
<p>Dave scowled. “It’s Saturday today, and you and I are the only ones here.”</p>
<p>“Of course, it’s before noon,” Ezra replied exasperatedly. “The rush hits after most people either have lunch or get out of bed after sleeping in; Saturday afternoons are what get so busy. In fact, it’s about time for me to take my lunch, so if you don’t mind – ” </p>
<p>“How about you and I go grab lunch together then?” Dave eagerly interrupted. </p>
<p>Ezra stared at him. “No. I want to have a peaceful lunch, devoid of customers, like I always do.” He swept a hand towards the door. “You have overstayed your welcome; please leave.”</p>
<p>Dave lurched closer, suddenly looming over Ezra. “Excuse me?” he snarled.</p>
<p>Ezra stiffened his spine, standing up as straight as he could. “You heard me! In fact, let me say it a little clearer: get out of my shop!” </p>
<p>“That’s really how you want to play it,” Dave rumbled menacingly, stalking forward until Ezra found himself backed into a shelf. “Are you sure?” he growled.</p>
<p>Ezra refused to show any outward weakness, even though inwardly he was on the edge of hysterics. His usual customers knew he closed for lunch around now, the street his shop was on was quiet, his phone was still sitting uselessly at the checkout counter – he was in quite the pickle. </p>
<p>Right as Ezra was realizing how desperate his situation had truly become, the bell at his front entrance jingled.</p>
<p>“Hello, is anyone there?” an unfamiliar voice called.</p>
<p>“Back here!” Ezra replied loudly and quickly, glaring defiantly at the snarling, thwarted brute in front of him.</p>
<p>“...Am I interrupting something?” the new customer asked hesitantly. </p>
<p>Or so Ezra assumed; he couldn’t actually see beyond Dave looming over him. “Yes!” said obstacle snapped as Ezra cried “No!” and wriggled out from where he had been trapped.</p>
<p>His new customer was...beautiful was not quite the word, but striking and attention-grabbing suited them well, what with the bright red shoulder-length curls and elegant all-black outfit. Ezra also noticed that their eyes were narrowed in suspicion behind curiously old-fashioned sunglasses.</p>
<p>“Is this man bothering you?” They suddenly growled dangerously.</p>
<p>Ezra nodded quickly even as the ruffian in front of him tried to bluster his way out of the situation. “I don’t see how any of this is even your business – ” </p>
<p>“It certainly is if you and your unwanted attentions are preventing Mr. Fell from fulfilling his duties as bookshop owner and helping me with my business,” the new customer replied crisply, “so I’m asking nicely for you to bugger off.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Dave turned to face Ezra’s red-headed savior. “And who’s going to make me? You?” he sneered.</p>
<p>“Well, more likely my friend at the police station, after we go in to report you for harassment,” they replied calmly. </p>
<p>Dave scoffed. “You don’t have any proof, your word against mine, and I’m quite sure my lawyer could get me out of anything you or the police tried,” he finished smugly.</p>
<p>Crowley hummed thoughtfully. “True, police are bound by all those pesky little rules. My butcher, on the other hand...they have a mysteriously unknown past, very handy knife skills, and they owe me a favor.”</p>
<p>“Are...are you threatening me?” Dave stuttered.</p>
<p>Dark sunglasses stared back calmly. “I don’t know. Are you planning to leave quietly, never come to this bookstore ever again and give this entire area a wide berth going forward?”</p>
<p>Dave stared at the redhead before him for only a few seconds before fleeing. </p>
<p>Ezra sank to the floor as all his tension was released, thanking his savior in a quivering voice for their help. </p>
<p>“I’m just glad I got here when I did and managed to scare him off, Mr. – ” </p>
<p>“Oh, please, call me Ezra, he/him pronouns – and you are?”</p>
<p>The elegantly-dressed customer blinked at him for a moment before flushing slightly and glancing away, clearing his throat. “I’m Anthony Crowley...he/him or they/them pronouns. I prefer going by Crowley. I own the flower shop next door. It was a slow day so I closed early for lunch, hoping to catch you before you did the same...”</p>
<p>“And thank goodness you did,” Ezra finished shakily, brushing himself off. “Was there anything you were looking for in particular?”</p>
<p>Crowley blushed a slightly deeper red. “I, uh...” He cleared his throat. “Not – not really, just...haven’t had a chance to look around here since I opened the shop, and...” He waved a hand awkwardly. “I guess while I’m here, if you had any good book recommendations...?”</p>
<p>Ezra brightened. “Oh my dear, of course, I would love to! Any preference for genre, themes, characters?”</p>
<p>“Ngk,” Crowley responded before shaking his head slightly and trying again. “I – I suppose...something to make you think, without being too dark or depressing. Fantasy is always nice?”</p>
<p>Ezra smiled. “Any problem with YA books?”</p>
<p>Crowley raised an eyebrow. “The ones for teenagers?”</p>
<p>Ezra chuckled. “You’d be surprised. Trust me?”</p>
<p>Crowley turned away and waved a hand nonchalantly. “Whatever you say,” he called as he headed back to the front of the store.</p>
<p>Ezra clasped his hands together delightedly and bustled off to collect the books that had come to mind; he missed Crowley’s violent blushing and hand clasped over his mouth as he tried to regain control of himself and his runaway emotions.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>Crowley had gotten all visible reactions well in hand when Ezra came back with a stack of books, even if his heart was still thundering madly in his chest. </p>
<p>“Alright, here we go,” Ezra huffed as he spread the books out on the desk and rubbed his hands together delightedly. He picked up one of the hardcovers. “We have Kill the Farm Boy, a D&amp;D-style fantasy novel with a queer twist, lots of wordplay and general hilarity.” </p>
<p>He put it down and picked up the smallest of the much, a mass-market paperback. “Small Gods, one of the few stand-alones in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, which is amazing if huge and a little difficult to navigate, but – ” He coughed embarrassedly. “ – I digress. Small Gods is a good starting point, if you like it I can point you towards other good Discworld novels.” </p>
<p>He picked up a white hardcover. “In Other Lands. While it is YA, I think it really tackles some adult and very complicated ideas and does so carefully and smartly; great writing, amazing narrator, and...” Ezra hesitated. “Okay, to be completely honest, this one is my favorite of the books I’ve collected and I would LOVE to hear what you have to say after reading it.” </p>
<p>Crowley opened his mouth to respond, but Ezra held up a hand to forestall him. “Just because this is my favorite doesn’t mean I don’t like the others and don’t think you would also enjoy them, so let me finish before you decide, okay?”</p>
<p>Crowley nodded but he also knew there was no way he was walking out of this store without In Other Lands.</p>
<p>“Where was I?” Ezra muttered. “Oh yes!” He picked up a red paperback. “Redshirt. Sci-fi, not fantasy, but otherwise – very funny, thought-provoking read, overt parody of Star Trek.” </p>
<p>Next up was a white paperback with two crossed knives on the cover. “Mask of Shadows. YA fantasy with a genderfluid protagonist.” Crowley raised an eyebrow as Ezra beamed at him. “Wonderful, isn’t it? Even if it isn’t necessarily all that thought-provoking, I thought you might enjoy reading about a kickass gender-defying protagonist!” Ezra looked down to pick up the next book, missing Crowley’s split second look of startled joy. “And last but certainly not least, Infinite Noise. Based on a podcast, apparently – I haven’t listened to it myself yet, so I can’t say much about it – but the book was lovely, very interesting premise of a teenage superhero going to therapy. The protagonist’s power is feeling others’ emotions, and I loved the author’s description of how emotions feel to him.”</p>
<p>Ezra glanced up at Crowley, eyes sparkling. “Well? Any specifically catching your eye?”</p>
<p>Crowley hesitated before picking up In Other Lands, and hovered over Mask of Shadows but did pick it up.</p>
<p>Ezra beamed at him. “Good choices!” He started to bag them up before Crowley reached out a hand. “Um. Shouldn’t I pay for those?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Ezra replied cheerfully, “on the house for my hero!”</p>
<p>Crowley flushed (adorably) red and let out a “Ngk” before rallying. “But – I’m here as a paying customer, I can’t – ”</p>
<p>Ezra stopped what he was doing and raised an eyebrow. “How many of these books can you actually afford to get? You said business was slow.”</p>
<p>Crowley looked away. “Two,” he muttered. </p>
<p>“And how many would you get if you could, sky’s the limit?”</p>
<p>Crowley slumped a bit. “Probably four,” he bit out.</p>
<p>Ezra waited until Crowley was looking him in the eye again. “Which other two?” he asked.</p>
<p>Crowley pointed at Kill the Farm Boy and Infinite Noise. </p>
<p>“Alright, how about this,” Ezra bargained. “I’ll charge you – full price even, without sneaking in my employee discount – for In Other Lands and Mask of Shadows if you’ll take the other two for free.”</p>
<p>Crowley frowned. “At least charge me for two hardcovers; getting two hardcovers for free sounds like a bad deal for you.”</p>
<p>Ezra stared Crowley down. “I said what I said and I stand by it; now, do we have a deal?” he asked sternly.</p>
<p>Crowley rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he capitulated, “you win.”</p>
<p>“You mean *you* win, getting free books!” Ezra replied delightedly as he rang up the books. “Your total will be $24.96.”</p>
<p>Crowley frowned; that sounded oddly low. </p>
<p>“I can offer lower prices on trade books, since I sell so many antique and specialty books,” Ezra smiled, as though reading Crowley’s mind. </p>
<p>“Really?” the florist asked skeptically as he took the bag Ezra offered him. </p>
<p>“Oh yes, plenty of professors, collectors, and even grad students order and come through in droves; they’re my main customers, the trade books are more...a bit of a hobby, I suppose. I stock up on a rotation of my favorites with a couple new bestsellers here and there, for the boring foot traffic that comes through.” Ezra grinned. “Not everyone has as great taste as you do.”</p>
<p>Crowley sputtered a bit at that. “I – well, I – thank you, I’ll be back but, uh – my lunch break ended a little while ago, I should – ”  He gestured at the door. “ – get back to my shop,” he ended weakly. </p>
<p>“Oh, my dear, of course, I forgot you were on lunch! I look forward to seeing you later.”</p>
<p>“Me too,” Crowley muttered before spinning around and practically fleeing the shop – but not fast enough to stop Ezra from noticing that Crowley was blushing again. Ezra smiled to himself – despite the awful way this hour had started, meeting Crowley was so very worth it.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>A few days later, Ezra decided to pop next door after he closed a little early. He was headed to Anathema’s for dinner, and she always did like flowers – not to mention he would have an excuse to see Crowley again, since the redhead hadn’t visited Ezra since the first time. </p>
<p>The bell that rang out at Ezra’s entrance prompted a harried-sounding, “I’ll be there as soon as I can, patience please!”</p>
<p>“No rush, my dear,” Ezra called back absently, gazing at his vivid green surroundings. Florist seemed too paltry a word for the veritable forest of greenery in Crowley’s shop – lots of lovely ferns the size of small trees, actual small trees, tiny cacti and succulents as well as gorgeous blooming flowers were all around him.</p>
<p>Ezra vaguely registered a loud sound coming from the back of the shop before Crowley rushed into view, covered in small smudges of dirt. “Mr. F – ” </p>
<p>“Ezra,” the blond interrupted firmly. </p>
<p>Crowley waved a hand wildly. “Ezra. Hi. What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“Well, I thought since you had come to visit my shop, I had never been to yours and I’m going over to Anathema’s for dinner, I’d come by, pick up some flowers for her!” </p>
<p>Crowley’s face...did something Ezra didn’t quite catch before completely smoothing.</p>
<p>“And what kind of flowers does she like?”</p>
<p>“Oh, the oddest you have,” Ezra replied. “She has a soft spot for the strange ones, that’s actually how we became friends.”</p>
<p>Crowley smirks. “I think I have just the thing,” he called as he disappeared into the back. He emerged with a spiky-looking plant, the petals a beautiful shade of pink. But when Ezra took a closer look at the petals’ shape, he realized something. “Crowley! Are those – ” </p>
<p>“This,” the florist interrupted gleefully, “is the Naked Man Orchid. The seeds I got my hands on finally bloomed – weird enough for your girlfriend, you think?”</p>
<p>Ezra did a double take. “I mean, she’ll love them, but…Girlfriend? What?”</p>
<p>Crowley raised his eyebrow. “You buy flowers for all your friends?”</p>
<p>“Actually, yes,” Ezra huffed. “I think that flowers are a beautiful addition to anyone’s day, and who better for me to give them to than friends?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Crowley muttered before quickly moving on. “So, how about five flowers, sound like enough?”</p>
<p>At Ezra’s nod, Crowley wrapped the flowers. “That’ll be $15.”</p>
<p>Ezra frowned at him. “Isn’t that – ”</p>
<p>“Consider it a discount for a regular,” Crowley quickly interrupted. “If you usually buy so many flowers, you should start coming here instead.”</p>
<p>Ezra smiled. “What a wonderful idea! Certainly a convenient location, for one thing,” he laughed. “Actually, I did want to ask – how are you doing on those books?”</p>
<p>Crowley slumped a bit. “I…haven’t had a chance to start any of them,” he sighed. “I want to, but…”</p>
<p>“No worries, my dear, they’re not going anywhere and neither am I,” Ezra consoled him. There was silence for a moment. “…What time do you close again?”</p>
<p>Crowley checked the time. “Soon, thankfully.”</p>
<p>Ezra bit his lip. “If you’re hungry and think you could take an evening off, I’m sure Anathema would love to thank you for her interesting flowers in person.”</p>
<p>“Thank me?” Crowley splutters. “But – ”</p>
<p>“She’ll know I didn’t pick these out, usually I just get her flowers dyed fun colors, not actual interesting flowers. She’ll want to know where I got them so she can come visit – if you come to dinner tonight, she’ll be able to talk to you that much sooner. And she always puts out quite the spread, one more guest won’t make a dent.”</p>
<p>“I…uh…are you absolutely sure?” Crowley asked almost helplessly.</p>
<p>“Entirely, my dear!” Ezra chirped.</p>
<p>Crowley smile-sighed as he shook his head. “Guess I can’t argue with that – give me a chance to clean up a bit?”</p>
<p>Ezra looked at Crowley’s outfit, noticing how the seemingly endless black was interrupted by smears of brown and white. “Of course – no rush, we have plenty of time!”</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>On the drive to Anathema’s – strange name, Crowley mused – Ezra got curious. “My dear – ”  Internally Crowley’s heart skipped a beat at the nickname, despite knowing that Ezra didn’t mean it the way his traitorous heart kept hoping for. “ – That first time we met, in the shop, you scared off that dreadful man with the mention of your friend the butcher.” </p>
<p>Crowley smirked at the memory of scaring that asshole. “Indeed I did.”</p>
<p>“I was wondering...how much of that story you told was true?”</p>
<p>Crowley snorted. “It was true! Or, at least mostly.”</p>
<p>Ezra let out a sigh of relief. </p>
<p>Crowley smirked as he finished his thought. “B’s past isn’t mysterious, I know for a fact they are a former hitperson for a certain...organization. They testified in court to bring the whole organization down after witnessing an incident that pushed their morals too far.”</p>
<p>Crowley reveled in the stunned silence that followed. “And how do you know this?” Ezra finally squeaked.</p>
<p>“Ah. Well.” Crowley rubbed a hand through his hair. “I worked with one of the lawyers B ended up hiring and while I wasn’t 100% sure B was the client my coworker had mentioned, B is very loose-lipped after a certain amount of alcohol. Which of course I informed them of immediately, so no one else with more nefarious intentions could pull the same trick,” Crowley quickly continued.</p>
<p>“...So you used to be a lawyer?” Ezra finally asked. </p>
<p>Crowley laughed bitterly. “I did. Actually, a bit like B, one case finally pushed me too far and I quit. Now I’m a barely-successful florist with friends on both sides of the law but at least I’m not....” Crowley trailed off, blinking hard (not crying, definitely not).</p>
<p>“Oh, my dear,” Ezra murmured, not needing Crowley to explain to get what he meant which was...new. Nice.</p>
<p>Crowley cleared his throat. “In any case. I do have quite a bit saved up and stashed away, so the shop doing well isn’t necessary and won’t be for a while, so – it’s fine, it’s all fine.”</p>
<p>Ezra hummed in agreement, but Crowley could tell it was half-hearted at best. And despite barely knowing the man, Crowley already didn’t want to disappoint him, so he gritted his teeth and told the truth. “Okay, it’s fine for now and definitely worrying, but for now – I’m good, and it’s fine.”</p>
<p>Ezra reached out and patted Crowley’s knee. “Don’t you worry, I’m sure you’ll come up with something!” He paused before adding thoughtfully, “Or maybe we will...”</p>
<p>“W-we?” Crowley asked hesitatingly.</p>
<p>“Yes, we!” Ezra replied brightly. “You, myself, and Anathema.”</p>
<p>Crowley rubbed his temples. “I’m sorry, your friend is going to help me run my business because...?”</p>
<p>“She’s a business major, you see, not to mention an heiress – my shop was doing only marginally well before she offered her assistance. With her help, I went from barely making a profit to business booming; and I’m sure she’ll be able to help you too, my dear. We’ll ask her at dinner.”</p>
<p>Crowley ruffled a hand through his hair. “Can I…can I think about it first, please? I don’t…”</p>
<p>Era bit his lip. “Of course, I’m so terribly sorry, I shouldn’t have – ” </p>
<p>“Ezra!” Crowley interrupted. “It’s fine. I appreciate you thinking of me, and I am going to really think about it, just…I’m meeting Anathema for the first time tonight. I don’t…I don’t want her to think that the only reason I came was to ask for her help; she…she deserves better than that.” </p>
<p>Ezra couldn’t help beaming over at his passenger. “You’re absolutely right. So thoughtful.”</p>
<p>Crowley flushed and turned to look out the window. “Not that big of a deal, just common decency,” he muttered.</p>
<p>Ezra couldn’t help being proud anyway; Anathema had been taken advantage of before, and it spoke highly of Crowley that he had considered that before Ezra himself, her longtime friend. Ezra knew that Crowley and Anathema would get along splendidly if he could just get them talking; that was his goal for the night.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>Crowley had to admit that he had been nervous to meet Ezra’s friend; worried that she wouldn’t think an ex-sleazy lawyer and current struggling businessman was worth Ezra’s time, or that he would say something cutting (like he so often did) and truly offend her, or...well. He worried.</p>
<p>As it turned out, he really didn’t need to. Aside from being a business major in school, she had minors in biology and history, due to her interest in the historical use of plants and herbs during witchcraft. (Apparently, one of her ancestors had been one of the last witches burned at the stake, and since childhood Anathema had been deeply interested in the family history.)</p>
<p>Crowley, being a plant lover and history aficionado himself, had a lot to say on the subject. As the night wore on, and he and Anathema continued to talk nonstop, Crowley could feel Ezra radiating smugness and happiness that his two friends were hitting it off so well. Crowley wanted to be irritated at being so well played, but...he was having too much fun. </p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>So Anathema became a frequent visitor to Crowley’s shop, and Crowley delighted in getting to geek out over the rare seeds and plant cuttings he got his hands on – not to mention sharing the thriving plants that resulted from tending to said seeds and cuttings. </p>
<p>And every time Anathema came, she either bought an absurd amount of whatever struck her fancy or she brought a friend, telling them “yes, this is the shop I mentioned, isn’t it marvelous?” Next thing Crowley knew he not only had Anathema and Ezra as regulars, but a whole group of them, growing ever larger as word of mouth spread. His business was no longer struggling, but flourishing as much as the plants he sold. </p>
<p>He even got to the point that he could hire a part-timer, a college student to help share the load of working – enough that he finally had some free time to read. He started with In Other Lands, wanting to be able to talk to Ezra about it as soon as possible. He immediately identified with Elliot – spiky and smart-mouthed, jumping feet first into an adventure the first chance he could, and falling headfirst in love with an enchanting acquaintance. (Perhaps Crowley identified a bit too much with that last part.)</p>
<p>And like Ezra promised, for a book aimed at teenagers it tackled a lot of thorny topics: the true meaning of entering a fantasy world and leaving the real one behind, societal gender bias, how to tackle a cycle of war led by a military-based government, discovering one’s sexuality, dealing with heartbreak on a romantic and familial front...</p>
<p>Crowley ended up racing through it much faster than he intended, reaching the end far too soon. He immediately called the bookshop (since Ezra was a Luddite who didn’t carry a cellphone). Ezra didn’t pick up, so Crowley left a (semi-embarrassing) babbling voicemail that boiled down to the facts that Crowley loved the book, many many thanks for recommending it, and Ezra should let him know ASAP when he was free to discuss it. </p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>When Crowley hadn’t gotten a response in two days – no call or visit from Ezra, and Anathema hadn’t heard from him either – he decided it was time for him to visit Ezra’s shop. He left Warlock in charge of the shop and went next door to find – chaos. There were boxes of books piled everywhere, and mountains of paperwork on the little space that was left. “Wh-what the hell, Ezra??” Crowley sputtered as he saw the man himself perched on one stack of boxes while he rifled vigorously through another. </p>
<p>“Oh, hello my dear, nice of you to pop by, but as you can see – ”  Ezra started distractedly, before Crowley interrupted.</p>
<p>“All I can see is someone who very clearly needs some paperwork assistance, and luckily for you – ” Crowley cracked his knuckles. “ – new lawyers are buried in the stuff for their first two years, so I’m an expert. Tell me where to start.”</p>
<p>Crowley and Ezra basically lived in the shop for the next few days, dealing with customers and matching the hand-scribbled orders to the books requested (because *someone* had declared that his bookshop had no need for online orders), while Warlock and Anathema kept them fed between shifts at the florist shop next door. But in the end, the wave of orders was filled, and peace once again reigned in the bookshop.</p>
<p>It was a little early for dinner and a tad late for lunch, but Crowley invited Ezra to join him for a meal anyway – and of course Ezra couldn’t resist. </p>
<p>Crowley didn’t take long to bring up how much he loved In Other Lands, and soon the two were chatting nonstop about how amazing it was, the conversation rapid and excited, with no end in sight. They had decided to drink with dinner, and Crowley had pushed past his usual limit, which was the only reason he could think of for what came out of his mouth next. </p>
<p>“I think...one of my favorite parts – ” He hiccupped. “ – was getting to see Elliot – experiment. Explore his sexuality, no – no shaming, not really, and, well...good for him! I’m a little – jealous, myself.”</p>
<p>Ezra was silent at this proclamation. </p>
<p>“Ezra?” Crowley asked thickly.</p>
<p>“I – ”  Ezra put a hand to his mouth. “This is a public place, I don’t – I can’t have this conversation here,” he finally hissed.</p>
<p>Crowley blinked at him. “And I’m probably a bit too sloshed to properly respond to – whatever you’re going to say, so...raincheck?”</p>
<p>Ezra quickly agreed.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>Except, Crowley found, Ezra did not actually want to continue the conversation they had almost started. Every time Crowley even tried to bring it up, Ezra kept changing the subject or outright refusing to answer, mumbling something about “not yet, too soon.” </p>
<p>Eventually Crowley lost patience with it all and asked Anathema about how best to approach Ezra’s particular brand of denial. </p>
<p>Her eyes narrowed. “And your ulterior motive is...?”</p>
<p>Crowley awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “We were having such a good conversation about this book, and I – clearly I said something wrong, I just want to know what it was so I can never do it again and we can go back to having those kinds of conversations, instead of these…”  He waved a hand miserably. “…awkward messes.”</p>
<p>Anathema’s entire demeanor softened. “Then the best plan of attack is inviting him to drink in a private, comfortable setting – I’d suggest the bookshop. Maybe surprise him around closing hours sometime this week?”</p>
<p>Crowley grinned. “You’re the best, thank you!” </p>
<p>“I know!” She called as he raced off. Then she sighed. “Hopefully this doesn’t backfire,” she muttered to herself.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>Crowley bought a couple bottles of the same wine he and Ezra had enjoyed at the restaurant – why not recreate the moment as closely as possible, minus the public setting – and waited patiently (aka paced anxiously around) in their shop until it was fifteen minutes before Ezra’s shop closed. They slunk into the shop and got settled in the corner that most customers avoided and thus was the last place Ezra checked for stragglers before closing – the children’s collectibles corner. </p>
<p>This was where Ezra kept the few children’s books he sold – extremely rare, extremely expensive editions. Most people were afraid to be anywhere near these books, but not Crowley. </p>
<p>Ezra seemed to be pleasantly surprised by Crowley’s appearance. “Crowley! How may I – ” </p>
<p>Crowley had dressed more androgynously than their usual, hoping it would give them the extra boost of confidence they needed. “Have a drink with me?”</p>
<p>Ezra sighed. “I can’t say no to a face like that, now can I?”</p>
<p>They grinned; step one complete.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>It took them a couple extra glasses of wine that Ezra halfheartedly refused at first but agreed to with the slightest nudge, but eventually Crowley and Ezra were comfortable enough to have the conversation that they needed to continue.</p>
<p>“So, Ezra?” Crowley asked. “I – firstly, I want to apologize for anything I said at our dinner that – that might have offended or hurt you, that was the last thing I ever meant to do.”</p>
<p>Ezra made a wounded noise. “My dear – ” </p>
<p>“No, please let me finish,” they interrupted, taking a deep breath. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to, because you shouldn’t *have* to tell me anything, but if there’s a subject you want me to avoid, or – whatever it was that hurt you, just – just tell me, and I’ll stop. And then we can keep talking, keep reading together... That’s all I really want, and I just don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that so just – please don’t let whatever I said be the end of this.”</p>
<p>They looked up from where they had been staring at the floor as they poured out their heart to see Ezra with a hand over his mouth, tears glistening in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh no, my dear, I – you did nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all, I just...my own cowardice, and fear that what I have to say might be – well, the end of our relationship. I – I had no idea you blamed yourself, you couldn’t be more wrong, I just – ” </p>
<p>“Ezra,” they sighed as they placed a hand on his shoulder, “unless you’re about to tell me you’re a serial killer or rapist or otherwise committing crimes against humanity, I promise –  whatever you have to say will not change my opinion of you.”</p>
<p>Ezra sniffled. “I promise it’s none of that,” he laughed wetly.</p>
<p>They smirked. “I figured as much.”</p>
<p>He took a deep breath. “I – I’m asexual. That means – ” </p>
<p>“You don’t feel sexual attraction,” Crowley finished quietly, eyes wide. “Oh. That’s – wow. Well. Um. I guess now might be a good time to tell you I’m aromantic?”</p>
<p>Ezra just stared. “Wait. So – ” </p>
<p>They nodded. “Not romantically attracted to anyone, yup.”</p>
<p>Bizarrely, Ezra’s face crumpled. “Oh my dear, I – I didn’t even realize! All those books with the romance subplot and I didn’t even think twice about it, I – I’m so sorry!”</p>
<p>Crowley had to laugh. “Ezra. Ezra! That’s what you’re upset about? Angel. I promise, I didn’t mind at all. Just because I’m not looking for romance for myself doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy reading about it.” They smirked. “You’re telling me you’ve never once read any smut?”</p>
<p>Ezra flushed and looked away. “Um.”</p>
<p>They cackled. “Same thing, angel.”</p>
<p>Ezra blushed even harder. “Um, angel?”</p>
<p>Crowley blinked. Had he – oh. He had. “Uh, sorry, I just – ”</p>
<p>“No, no, I – I actually quite like it,” Ezra interrupted. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>They coughed. “I – uh, you’re welcome. I – I should head home.”</p>
<p>Ezra frowned. “Are you sure that – that you’re safe to do so?”</p>
<p>Crowley smiled. “I promise, angel – it’s not a far walk, and I’m mostly sober now. But – I’ll come by tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” Ezra replied, mind racing. Did he have time to – he did. He would. </p>
<p>“Good night, dear!” he called, smiling at the “you too, angel” that floated back. He rushed to get ready for bed and then got to typing at his laptop.</p>
<p>*~*</p>
<p>The next day, Ezra wrung his hands nervously as he saw Crowley walk up to his door. Maybe he had overstepped, maybe he shouldn’t say anything, maybe – </p>
<p>“Angel!” Crowley called as he walked in. “How’s it been today?”</p>
<p>Ezra immediately latched onto the offered topic, chattering on and on about the nice graduate students who had dropped by, and the grandmother who ended up buying a copy of The Little Princess that was older than she was, and the growly businessman who ended up not buying anything but putting in an order for the next James Patterson book that “now I’m going to have to stock, Crowley!” Ezra moaned. </p>
<p>Crowley just smirked. “You could have just told him no.”</p>
<p>Ezra pondered that for a solid minute before shaking his head. “No, no I couldn’t have,” he groaned, “I would feel far too guilty having deprived someone of a book, even if it was one as awful as James Patterson’s,” he groused. </p>
<p>Crowley had to chuckle at that. “Fair enough. Now that you’re done talking about your day...” He paused, and Ezra nodded in agreement. “...Why don’t you just say what you’ve been nervous about since you saw me walk through your door?”</p>
<p>Ezra opened his mouth, denials on the tip of his tongue, before slumping in defeat. “Am I that obvious?”</p>
<p>“No, I was only half-sure, but you’ve confirmed it now,” Crowley grinned wickedly.</p>
<p>Ezra threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly. “Very well, you caught me! I just...I was thinking, last night, about how – well – life-changing it was the first time I got to read a book starring an ace character, someone like me. And I thought – that might not be something you got to experience yet. So – ” </p>
<p>He fumbled around under the checkout counter, coming out with a small stack of paper in his hands. “I found a list of books published starring aro characters. And the compiler was thorough, romantic and sexual identities are noted when confirmed, and – I did check, there’s a few allo-aro characters.” Ezra thrust the list at Crowley.</p>
<p>Crowley took the list on autopilot, eyes misting over a little. “I – angel. Thank you,” he choked out eventually.</p>
<p>Ezra busied himself with tidying the counter, giving his friend a little space to collect himself. After a few minutes, Crowley cleared his throat. “It…sounds like I have some reading to do, but…I’d also love to read your favorite book with an ace character?”</p>
<p>Ezra flushed. “I – I’m not sure – ”</p>
<p>Crowley raised an eyebrow. “You and I both know you have one. I promise, I just…I just want to get to know you better.”</p>
<p>Ezra sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.” He hurried off and returned with a…surprisingly worn copy. </p>
<p>“Are you even allowed to sell books in that condition?” Crowley asked in surprise.</p>
<p>Ezra reared up to his full height, offended. “My dear! I am not selling you a copy of this book, no, no – if you’d like, you may borrow mine, but I refuse to let you pay a dime to read this book!”</p>
<p>Crowley, struck by the significance of the moment, took the book reverently. “I…thank you. I’ll take very good care of it.”</p>
<p>Ezra smiled. “I know you will. I’ll see you tomorrow?”</p>
<p>Crowley smiled back. “Every day if I can help it, angel.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For those curious, Newt is Crowley’s police contact, and Beelzebub is Crowley’s butcher friend – they own a shop a few blocks away.</p>
<p>Books Mentioned (the starred are my personal favorites):</p>
<p>*In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan </p>
<p>Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne</p>
<p>Small Gods by Terry Pratchett</p>
<p>Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller</p>
<p>Redshirt by John Scalzi </p>
<p>The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen</p>
<p>*Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann</p>
<p>The list of aro books Ezra found for Crowley can be found here: https://claudiearseneault.com/?page_id=2107</p>
<p>I do plan to return to this ‘verse with some more Crowley book reviews (because they’re so much fun to write!) and, hopefully (eventually) the next step in Crowley and Ezra’s relationship. But for now, I hope you enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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